Palakkad: There is a slight dip in the occupancy rate of Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram Central and Kasaragod according to the latest data made available by the Southern Railways.
The figures have come at a time when the state is awaiting its second Vande Bharat Express which is touted to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday through video conference.
As per the latest data, the Kasaragod–Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express (train no. 20633) registered 177.45 per cent occupancy during the current financial year till September 13, 2023. At the same time, the Thiruvananthapuram Central- Kasaragod Vande Bharat Express (train no. 20634) had an occupancy rate of 171.76 per cent during the same period.
In June this year, as per the official data from the Indian Railways, the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Express was the best-performing Vande Bharat Express in the country with an average occupancy of 183 per cent followed by its Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod service with an average occupancy of 176 per cent.
The facts such as ending of vacation, opening of educational institutions, monsoon season etc. might be the reason for the slight dip in occupancy. “Normally, there’s a slight dip in the number of passengers in the June-August period in Kerala. The same dip might have impacted the case of Vande Bharat Express service, too,” according to officials, who added, “Nevertheless, both the services still remain the best-performing ones in the country.”